Fiori di Sicilia Halva

 

Halva is one of my favorite treats. It's more savory then, say, fudge and is so simple to make. You just need four ingredients and a little bit of patience. You'll see this version used in an upcoming cake recipe for November's The Cake Slice Bakers which called for halva, but I did steal nibbles here and there as well.

I used some Fiori di Sicilia extract, but you can use whatever extract you have. I have used rosewater which isn't beloved by half of my household and orange blossom water. But you can use pure vanilla extract, too. The flavor of Fiori di Sicilia, in my mind, would be a blend of orange and vanilla.

Ingredients makes one 5" x 7" pan

• 10.6 ounce tahini (sesame paste)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Fiori di Sicilia extract (feel free to substitute any kind of extract that you wish)
• 1 cup organic granulated sugar
• Also needed: medium saucepan, 5" x 7" rimmed dish, parchment paper

Procedure

Line your rimmed dish with parchment paper, leaving an overhang so you can get the halva out of the dish easily.

In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the tahini, salt, and extract.

Place the sugar in a medium saucepan. Over medium heat, cook until the sugar is completely dissolved into a syrup. You can swirl the pan to help the sugar dissolve. Once the syrup is clear and the sugar dissolved, bring that to a simmer. When you see uniform bubbles throughout the syrup, remove the pot from the heat.

Carefully pour the hot syrup into the tahini mixture and stir with a wooden spoon.

The halva should come together into a cohesive ball and pull away from the sides of the bowl. Stir until it's just moistened. If you overmix it, it will get crumbly.

Scoop the halva into the prepared pan. Use the wooden spoon to push the halva to the edge of the pan. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. 

Use the overhanging parchment paper to lift the halva out of the pan. Slice as desired. Whatever you don't eat or serve should be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for two weeks.

You'll be seeing this in my November #TheCakeSliceBakers. I can't wait to share that recipe, too. It was delicious.